"Save democracy, restore normalcy"
10 pol parties submit memo to Governor
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 13 2023: Member parties of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have submitted a memorandum to Governor Anusuiya Uikey to save democracy, restore normalcy in Manipur and to provide adequate relief and rehabilitation to the people affected by the ongoing crisis.

The political parties which submitted the memorandum were AAP, AIFB, AITC, CPI, CPI-M, INC, JD-U, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Manipur unit and RSP.

Speaking on behalf of the 10 parties, former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi said that they take the attack on the Constitution and democracy very seriously.

Saying that the fate of democracy and whether the people are still entitled to their fundamental rights have become questionable now, he added that Central forces not allowing the media persons to cover the firing incident at Sabung-khok Khunou yesterday and lathi-charging on women were an attack on democracy itself.

There was an incident when a large team of State commandos was sent to the house of one media person for publishing a certain story, he said and asked if there is unannounced emergency in Manipur.

It is embarrassing that the Government is unable to trace the bodies of the two Meetei students though the missing complaint was filed as soon as they went missing, he added.

Is only arresting only a few accused of the case enough to deliver justice to the innocent students, Ibobi asked and said that security forces resorting to firing pellet guns and other fatal weapons on the students who protested against the murder of Linthoingambi and Hemanjit is not a trait of a democratic set up.

Do the Governments see the people of Manipur as insects or inferior beings or have the people been left to their own fate, the former Chief Minister asked.

Meanwhile, the memorandum said that the Central and the State machinery have failed to solve the crisis in Manipur and as such local civil societies are trying to fill the gap of missing governance by resorting to various forms of agitation.

It also claimed that the State Government has of late imposed several prohibitory measures to prevent the citizens from exercising their fundamental rights.

The 10 political parties continued that the Central and State Government and the vigilante groups which they encourage are creating panic among the people apart from not allowing people to raise their voice which is against the Constitutional and democratic norms.

Saying that the Government seemingly is robbing the right of the people to give constructive criticism and assemble peacefully, the memorandum demanded that such restrictions being placed on the people be lifted immediately.

Manipur has been besieged by the ongoing crisis for more than five months now but no meaningful peace talks with the stakeholders concerned is in sight till now, it said and added that the Government needs to hold talks with the stakeholders concerned to douse the flame.

The memorandum went on to state that the relief package announced by the Centre and the State Government is inadequate in terms of coverage and quantum and as such a fresh look at the requirement of the displaced people is needed.

The 10 parties further urged the Governor to trace and hand over the mortal remains of Phijam Hemanjit and Linthoingambi to their families and also arrange a mechanism to hand over the bodies lying at RIMS, JNIMS, Churachandpur district hospital etc to their respective families to perform their last rites according to their faith.

The delegates of the 10 parties came out from Congress Bhavan to submit the memorandum to the Governor at Raj Bhavan but the police tried to stop them.

There were heated arguments between the delegates of the political parties and the police and in the process one junior police officer was surrounded over some misunderstandings.

Later, the police allowed only one person from the delegates to submit the memorandum to the Governor but as the Governor was not in the premises, the memorandum was received by an Under Secretary from the gate of the Raj Bhavan.

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